Shadow Sunshine
by Seaweed girl
Summary: Laura Tolland is a new camper and also the best friend of the daughter of Poseidon. What happens when Nico Di Angelo falls for her? Would he be able to protect and keep her away from harm?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was the summer breeze that set Laura Tolland into a good mood as she sat on the grass, drawing the picture of a bird, settled on the branch of a tree in the garden of her mother's bungalow. Her best friend- Alice Gilbert, who lived in the neighbourhood, would often visit her and they would spend a considerable amount of time laughing, playing chess and many other games. Sometimes, Alice would test her skills in sword-fighting (with a pair of sticks), and even in archery, which was pretty weird to her. But, she had never expected herself to be as good as Alice in a swordfight.

Laura and Alice were both sixteen and studied in the same school. Alice was tall and sporty. She had sea- green eyes and long dark hair. Her skin was a little tanned- probably because she spent most of her spare time on the beach, Laura had often thought. Alice too, lived with her mother, and every summer, she would go to a camp which she rarely spoke about.

Laura, on the other hand, was tall, too. She had perfectly smooth skin, which glowed in the sunlight, brown eyes, which looked like pools of chocolate, and straight, brown hair. She would practice archery or would strum a song on her guitar, which had always been her favourite pastime. Everybody at school called her a 'gorgeous, athletic chic.'

Laura's mother had told her that her father had left them two weeks after she was born, and had never returned. Her mother, Ms. Kelly Tolland often described her father as a 'good- looking, loving, and a gentleman with a good sense of humour.

Alice had been watching Laura closely, ever since she had met her. She knew that there was something special in Laura, who was an awesome singer and a musician. She had spoken to Chiron about her, but he would tell her-'Keep close watch on her, until you're completely sure about her, and of course, keep her away from harm.' Although they weren't attacked by monsters till that day, Alice had a gut feeling that she had to be alert, as it is said- Better safe than sorry.

As if reading her mind, suddenly, the weather turned cold, hiding the sun behind the grey clouds. It was just 4 p.m. and the sky looked...dangerous.

Laura frowned at the change in the weather, and looked at Alice, who seemed to be thinking intently about something.

"What's the matter, Alice?" she asked her best friend, who was looking around the house as if expecting something bad to happen.

"It's just...a weird feeling. I think there's something wrong, Laura," she said as she dug her hand into her pocket to find something, but was disappointed when her hand emerged empty.

"You're right." Laura glanced at the sky and continued, "For a minute it's so sunny and bright and whatever, and suddenly it looks like the sky is waiting to fall on our heads any minute!"

Alice gave her friend a half- hearted smile, wishing she could explain the thoughts crossing her mind. She knew that she would attract a great deal of monsters wherever she went, being a child of The Big Three. Her half- brother- Percy Jackson, had warned her about that fact. But right now, Alice Gilbert had to handle the situation wisely, if things got any worse. She said a silent prayer to her dad to help her get Laura and herself, safely to Camp Half- Blood- the only safest place in the world for kids like them.

Just then, Laura's mom came out of the house and urged the girls to come inside. Alice was a little hesitant at first, then decided she would tell Laura everything she needed to hear, once they were inside.

Laura's mother brought out cookies and two cups of hot chocolate, and laid them on the table. Alice didn't know how to tell her best friend the truth. Sipping her hot chocolate and glancing nervously outside the window, she drew in a deep breath.

"Laura, are you familiar with Greek mythology?" she asked.

The other girl eyed her friend for a moment. Who could possibly come up with this topic when it's so dull outside? "Yes. What about it?" she answered.

Excitedly, Alice looked her in the eye and said, "All those myths are in fact, real- the gods, the monsters...everything," she said and waited for the words to sink inside.

Laura looked like she was having a tough time registering the fact. "So...?" she said and bit a piece out of her cookie.

There was silence for a while before Alice said, "Uh...do you have the strangest and slightest idea that you're a demigod?" she eyed her friend as she took a sip of her hot chocolate and waited for the blow to come.

"What?" Laura exclaimed. She couldn't understand why she, of all people would be a demigod. _She's definitely joking!_ she thought. "How can you be sure of it?" she demanded.

Alice didn't know how to make her friend understand, without looking insane herself. She began, "We demigods have an aura that attracts almost every wicked, evil thing in the world, waiting to devour us half- bloods."

Laura did a double- take. "Whoa, back up a bit. You said 'us half- bloods?"

Alice nodded.

"You mean...you too...?" she looked sceptically at those sea- green eyes.

"Yes, we both are half- bloods. My godly parent is Poseidon- Lord of the Sea," she said.

"You've got to be kidding me. Why didn't you tell me before...?" her voice faded. The biggest secret of her own life, which she herself didn't know, but her best friend does. How wonderful!

"I wasn't sure of your godly parent, I'm sorry- I should've known before." Alice felt sorry to see the shock on Laura's face as she let the truth sink in.

Laura began to choke on her words, "Does...my mom... know?"

Standing silently behind the wall and listening to their conversation, Ms Kelly Tolland felt guilt creep into her heart. She didn't want her daughter to hear the truth from somebody else, but she knew that her daughter wouldn't believe her if she confessed it. Also, she hid the truth, only to protect her daughter from evil. Laura's mother said a silent prayer to her husband as she walked into the hall, where the girls were seated.

"Yes, dear, I have known about it," she declared. Ms Tolland looked at her daughter's face which reflected sheer horror and shock, with her jaw open.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie... I did it just to protect you..."

"Protect me from what?" Laura demanded. "Why didn't any of you tell me the truth before?" Her chocolate- brown eyes began to fill with tears.

"Honey, believe me, it's because the earlier you know your true identity, the quicker and faster you're attacked by blood- thirsty monsters." Her mother hoped that her daughter would buy her words and stop crying after hearing this.

Suddenly, the storm set in. Alice ran towards the window and panicked at what she saw. A ten-feet dark form was sniffing the road for any hint of a demigod ten blocks away.

Instantly, Alice reached for her sword and stopped cold. She had left it in her bicycle basket, which was in Laura's garden.

She and Laura's mother exchanged nervous looks after which her mother nodded. Alice understood the message at once: Leave, now.

"Laura, we've got to leave, immediately!" she yelled at her friend over the storm.

"But, where are we going, and what's going on?" she demanded, barely able to hear her own voice over the storm.

"I'm taking you to the camp, which I go to every summer- Camp Half- Blood," she glanced at her friend to see what her face reflected as she said the last words, before running out of the door. Laura's expression seemed to be asking her: Camp Half- Blood? Really?

"There's no time, I'll explain later!" Alice said. "Grab your bow and arrows and get your bicycle, too!" she reminded her. She had no other quicker way of escaping from the jaws of death in time. Running would be of no help, she thought. Besides, even if Laura's mother offered them her car, it would take time to start the engine and stuff, and Alice wasn't sure if she could drive a car in a situation like this, with her mind panicking till no end.

She grabbed her bicycle and turned around, to find Laura hugging her mother trying to keep back the tears from falling. Her mother seemed to be assuring her that everything would be okay, if she trusted Alice and stayed with her.

A few minutes later, they were out into the storm, heading towards Half-Blood Hill. Laura tried to keep her pace steady with Alice's, who seemed to be struggling in the storm.

As they rounded a corner, Laura caught a glimpse of the monster in her bicycle mirror. The thing was ten- feet tall and quite heavy. It looked more like a giant dog, she guessed.

"It's a hellhound," Alice said turning to look at Laura, and almost missed knocking off a stray dog, crossing the road.

Laura's legs began to hurt like hell. She wished she could eliminate the monster following them. But, without knowing her powers, she didn't want to take a chance.

"How much farther?" she asked.

"Almost there, don't give up," Alice replied.

Laura heard the fear and tiredness in her friend's voice and began doubting whether they would reach their destination in time.

The monster roared behind them and increased its speed, eager to devour its prey.

After a few minutes, Alice called out, "There it is- Half- Blood Hill!"

Laura looked at her as if she were crazy. Looking into the direction where Alice pointed, she saw nothing but a pine tree standing on top of the hill.

Alice yelled at her to drop her bicycle and run up the hill, without looking behind. Together, they ran up the steep hill in waist- high grass, which seemed to slow them down a bit. The monster was closing in on them and was only eight feet away, when Alice stopped and turned around. Summoning all her remaining power, she held up her hands, willing the water from the nearby canoe lake to follow her movements.

Laura didn't understand what Alice was doing. Suddenly, a huge tsunami- like wave came crashing in on them from somewhere, dousing anything and everything, but her and Alice. Looking down at her feet, she thought that she was dreaming. _I'm floating on the water inside a bubble!_ she realized.

After the water disappeared, Alice willed the bubble around Laura to burst. Holding her ground, Laura quickly pulled out an arrow, placing it between her bow, she aimed it at the hellhound's wet chest. The monster was beginning to get up when the arrow sank deeply into its body. The hellhound let out a shrill shriek before crumbling into nothingness, but dust.

Laura felt herself go weak at the knees, and it had dawned on her how tired and worn-out she had been. Exhausted, she fell to the ground, unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Laura opened her eyes and almost hit her head on the wall behind her when she woke up to find herself staring at a creature with the upper half of a man and the lower half of a horse.

"Relax, child," he said. "I'm Chiron, and I'm a centaur."

Centaur? Okay, now she started believing everything about the gods and creatures of Greek mythology.

Laura sat up and looked around. The room was huge and there were many beds lined up against the walls. A huge map hung on the wall which said: Camp Half- Blood.

Realizing where she was, she remembered her friend, Alice. "Where's Alice?" she asked, "Is she okay?"

Chiron nodded, "She's fine. She's in the other room."

"Can I go and see her?" Laura asked, still worried about Alice.

"Yes, you can. But first drink the drink which is beside your bed." He motioned towards the table beside her bed.

Holding the glass in her hands, Laura smelled the drink. It smelled of her mom's chocolate chip cookies. The only difference was that the chocolate chips were melted in the drink. She took a sip of the drink, and felt the energy return within her. The taste was simply awesome. Yummy...

When she gulped down the last sip of the drink, she saw Chiron smiling at her. Sheepishly, she got out of bed and was led by Chiron to the other room.

Chiron opened the door and motioned her to step inside. Laura saw Alice sitting on a bed and talking to a tall boy, whose back was facing Laura.

When Alice saw Laura walking towards her, her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "Laura! How are you feeling?"

Laura came and stood next to the bed. "I'm fine, Alice, thank you. How are you?"

"I'm better, thanks," she said.

Laura smiled and turned to look at the boy standing beside Alice. The dude had dark hair, sea- green eyes and a tanned complexion, just like Alice.

"Oh- Laura, meet my half- brother- Percy Jackson, Percy, this is Laura Tolland," she said.

Percy held out his hand while Laura shook it. "Hi, Percy," she said.

"Hey, Laura," he grinned and said, "Welcome to Camp Half- Blood."

"Thanks," she replied.

Suddenly, Alice got out of bed and put her shoes on. "Uh... Alice?" Laura asked her, worriedly.

Alice looked up, "Yes?"

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not going alone, you're coming with me," she said. "Come on, let me show you around camp."

Grabbing her friend's hand, Alice shoved Percy aside and said, "Sorry Percy, I'll talk to you later!"

She walked across the room, dragging Laura behind her.

"Don't you need to rest?" Laura asked her friend, who looked happy to show her around camp.

Alice shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Now come on!"

Once they were outside, the morning sunlight flashed in Laura's face, making her glow like a goddess. Everybody stopped to look at the new camper who was walking with the daughter of Poseidon. Trying not to pay attention to the stares, Laura was eager to keep herself busy by talking with Alice.

"Alice, can I ask you something?" she said.

"Sure," she replied.

"What happened yesterday on the hill- how did you control the water?" she asked quickly, looking at Alice.

"Oh, that was nothing. All demigods are blessed with powers from their godly parents," she paused before continuing, "For example, kids of Poseidon can control water and even communicate with horses and sea animals. Hephaestus's children are fire- proof and are excellent at creating gadgets, Apollo's kids are skilled medics, Aphrodite's kids can charmspeak and stuff... You get the point, don't you?" she looked at Laura.

"Yeah," she assured.

Alice showed Laura the thirteen cabins dedicated to the gods. She explained that if a demigod is not determined, he/she would have to spend their time in the over- crowded Hermes cabin. She showed her, her own cabin and let her have a peek of the other cabins as well. The Zeus cabin was empty because only one demigod lived there, who joined The Hunters who follow Artemis- goddess of the hunt. Alice added that from time to time, the demigod (whose name was Thalia), would come to camp and let her Hunters stay in Artemis's cabin, while she stayed in her father's cabin.

When they had reached the Hades cabin, which was at the far end, Alice hesitated a little. This is the most feared cabin at camp, she said in her mind.

Seeing the worried look on her friend's face, Laura asked her, "What's the matter, Alice?"

"Oh, no, Laura, it's just...," she began to say when a familiar Italian voice called out to her. She wheeled around to see the infamous, most dangerous, most feared demigod at camp- the son of Hades, jogging towards them.

Laura looked in the direction of the voice and felt her heart skip a beat. The guy was tall and had black hair, complementing his midnight- black eyes. His olive- skin glittered in the sunlight, leaving her dazed. He looked handsome and was well built. He must be the hottest guy at camp, she thought.

"Hey Alice, wassup?" he smiled and turned to the other girl, standing beside Alice, and noticed that she was a new camper. The girl's eyes were chocolate- brown and her hair was poker- straight. Her skin was smooth and shinned like a million diamonds in the sun. She was shorter than him by 2-3 inches, he realized. Those beautiful eyes seemed to be lost in his gaze, while he took in the beauty of the young girl who looked like she was holding her breath.

Looking at them stare at one another, Alice couldn't help but smile. Nico di Angelo was really hot, yet dangerous. She wanted to tell Laura the reason she hesitated to let her have a peek at the cabin, but decided to tell her later.

Clearing her throat, she broke the silence. "Hi, Nico, this is Laura Tolland. Laura- meet Nico di Angelo- the Son of Hades."

Nico di Angelo flushed as he held out his hand, while Laura shook it. "Nice meeting you, Laura," he managed to say.

"Yeah, you too," she said and stared at the ground, obviously trying to hide the blush.

Nico didn't want to let her out of his sight, as he tried to fight back the rapid pounding of his heart. "Uh...you guys carry on. I'll... go and practice sword-fighting," he said and turned around before he would change his mind. As he walked away, he couldn't help but smile to himself as he let the emotions overtake him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sun was going down as it cast a beautiful shade of orange and pink across the horizon. Alice had shown Laura the forges, the amphitheatre, the sword-fighting arena, the Big House, the dining pavilion and was sitting beside her, watching the naiads weave baskets out of different coloured flowers. Laura glanced up at the sky and noticed huge clouds head towards camp. Um, Alice? Looks like it s gonna rain, she said. Why don t we go and sit inside your cabin for now? she asked.  
Alice looked up and said, Don t worry, Laura. Camp Half- Blood has magical boundaries, which is protected by Thalia s pine tree. It guards the camp and prevents monsters from entering in. It doesn t rain here unless and until someone summons the bad weather. Laura watched as the clouds passed overhead, without bursting out on them. This place seemed to be wonderful and she had started liking it.  
So, what do you basically do here every summer? Laura had wanted to ask Alice a long time ago, but she had avoided telling her the truth. Alice turned to face her friend and said, Listen, Camp Half- Blood is the only safest place in the world for us demigods. We come here and train for upcoming battles so that we can face any danger inside or outside camp. Oh, okay, Laura said. They sat in silence for a few minutes and Laura couldn t wait to be claimed by her godly parent. Suddenly, she asked Alice, who was now fidgeting with her sword, How many siblings do you have? Alice stood up and began pacing around as she spoke. We re just the three of us- Percy, Tyson and myself. Tyson is a Cyclops. Cyclops are often regarded as...mistakes, she paused before continuing, After the Second World War, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades vowed never to have any more children. But eventually, they couldn t keep up to it. Thalia ended up being Zeus daughter, while Poseidon had us three, and Hades brought up Nico and his sister- Bianca di Angelo, who died trying to save Percy and his friends while they were on a quest a few years ago. Her face darkened a bit before she continued, Laura, listen to this carefully. We children of The Big Three are very powerful and dangerous at the same time. We attract a great deal of monsters wherever we go. But, most powerful and most dangerous are the children of Hades- Lord of the Dead. She eyed Laura as she let the meaning sink in. Alice just wanted Laura to know the truth. Better safe than sorry, she thought.  
Laura was silent for a moment and then blushed. Alice noticed it. She knew that her best friend had a huge crush on the Son of Hades.  
Smiling, she asked her, Laura, do you want to say something? Laura s head shot up. Had she noticed it? she thought. Um, I was wondering... Why do people always fear them? she looked at Alice with her chocolate- brown eyes, demanding an explanation. Here it goes. Look, firstly, Hades kids are dangerous because they come from the Underworld. Secondly, they re as powerful as their father, which means, if they lose their temper on anyone, they can blast us all into pieces by the snap of a finger! Laura considered that. But, he looked nothing like an angry child of Hades! she wanted to protest, but she knew better than that.  
The naiads had finished weaving their baskets and were returning into the water, when suddenly a shadow appeared behind Alice, and out of it materialized a tall figure.  
Laura screamed and almost hit her head on the tree behind her. Alice jumped. When the figure stepped into the moonlight, Laura caught her breath. Standing behind Alice was Nico Di Angelo. Hey, Alice, Laura, he chuckled. Sorry to have frightened you ll. Percy was searching for you two. Said to meet him at the dining pavilion. Alice let out a sigh of relief. Sure. Thanks, Nico, she smiled. She turned around to motion to Laura to follow her and found her staring at Nico. Her cheeks were the colour of fresh tomatoes.  
Those chocolate- brown eyes made it hard for him to even think what to do next. He felt like running over to her and holding her in his arms, never letting her go.  
The silence was broken when Alice coughed, Dude, are you coming or not? Her eyebrows were raised and Nico could see a faint smile crack up on her lips.  
Breaking out of her trance, Laura walked up to Alice and said, Yeah, lets go. The girls walked for a few steps when suddenly, Nico called out from behind. Hey, uh... do you want me to shadow- travel you ll to the dining pavilion? It would be faster. Alice glanced at her friend beside her, who s eyes seemed to be telling her a silent yes! Sure, Nico. That s very kind of you. Thanks, having said this, she smiled back at Laura.  
Nico had trouble focusing as the smell of chocolate clouded his mind. He closed his eyes and tried to forget the wide- eyed girl standing beside him. Within seconds, they appeared at the dining pavilion. As soon as Alice saw Percy, she ran towards him, leaving Laura with Nico behind. Laura felt her heart pounding in her chest, as if forcing her to let it out. She was completely aware of the fact that he was watching her silently. She wheeled around only to find his face a few inches away from hers. His midnight- black eyes were straining to get into her thoughts. You look a lot like Apollo, you know, he said, breaking the silence with a grin. Gods! He would have won an award for that grin, if there was any.  
Really? she said, Thanks. Just then, a conch horn sounded so loudly that she nearly jumped into him.  
I think I ll go and find Alice. See you later! she said, eagerly waiting to get away from there, before she would change her mind and be lost forever in his gaze.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

That night, Laura was seated at the Hermes table for dinner. Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor as he began to make announcements. Attention campers! Tonight, in our midst, we have a new camper- Laura Tolland, who is undetermined. Everybody, at once, strained their necks to have a look at the new girl, who was seated at the Hermes table. Laura didn t like all the attention strained on her, so she let her hair down and tried to cover her face. Suddenly, the whole assembly fell silent. Laura looked up to find everybody staring at her. No wait- they were staring with awe and wonder at something above her head. Looking up, she nearly got a heart attack. Floating above her head was a golden, shimmering form of a bow and arrow, that almost blinded her. She felt as if the sun had come and deposited directly over her. At last the light faded, disappearing with the bow and arrow.  
Everybody spun around to look at Chiron, who seemed to be gathering his words. I think our new camper has already been claimed by her godly parent, saying this he bowed down, while others followed suit. Hail, Laura Tolland, daughter of Apollo. In the next few minutes, Laura was shifted to the Apollo table. Her siblings stared at her as if she were a goddess. Yet, they greeted her and made her feel at home.  
There was a lot of murmuring in the crowd, which was silenced by the pounding of Chiron s hoof against the floor.  
He raised his glass up. To the gods! he declared.  
To the gods! everyone shouted in unison.  
Dryads came around serving platters of fresh bread, fruits and a variety of other tasty eatables. You could wish for anything in your glass- non- alcoholic, of course!  
Dinner was followed by the camp sing- along. All the campers sat around the fire. That night, it was the Apollo cabin who led the camp into melodious singing. A few Apollo kids played the guitar, while Will Solace and Dorothy Wilson sang- When You re Happy and You Know It , That s The Way It Is , and many other songs which made Laura enjoy at the end of the day. She had laughed after a long time and had almost forgotten about her mom, at home.  
She kept glancing at Percy, who was standing and talking with another girl of his age. She had blonde hair and an athletic body. They were later joined by Chiron, who seemed to be thinking intently about something.  
Laura s eyes scanned the crowd for Nico, who had been enjoying the changing colours of the fire, which grew brighter and higher with the ever- increasing energy of the surrounding campers, singing with enthusiasm.  
After it was time to go to bed, Alice came over to her. Hey, did you enjoy today? I m glad you re claimed by your dad, she said as her sea- green eyes glittered in the dark.  
Yes, Alice. I didn t know that camp was really a safer home to people like us. I feel so relieved for the first time in my life. It feels like I was destined to come here. She smiled and hugged her friend as she spoke, Thanks, Alice for saving me from that monster yesterday. Alice pulled away and placing her hand on Laura s shoulder, she said, No prob, Laura. Laura smiled at her and they said quick good- nights. Just as soon as she placed her hand on the doorknob, Laura saw Nico across the lawn, heading towards his own cabin. When he saw her standing there, he waved at her and stepped into his cabin. Laura sucked in a deep breath and twisted the doorknob of her cabin. What she saw in made her feel at home. There were musical instruments piled up in one corner of the room. There was a bathroom at the far end of the room. Apollo s kids looked almost alike, just like her- Tall, brown eyes, glowing skin, and beautiful hair. There were posters and pictures of favourite singers and actors, stuck to the wall behind every bed. Most of the girls also had a picture of Nico di Angelo, taped behind their beds. Everybody was preparing to go to bed, when Dorothy Wilson- a girl of about fifteen, came up to Laura and addressed her siblings. Here one and all- Let us welcome our new sister- Laura Tolland. Hey, Laura! a boy of about fourteen said, Welcome home! A loud cheer erupted that almost made her giggle.  
Hi everyone, glad to meet you ll, she said, thanking her dad silently for the beautiful company here at camp.  
Dorothy led her to a bunk bed, which was occupied on the top by a guitar. Dorothy climbed on the top as Laura placed her bow and arrows that Dorothy had given her, under her bed.  
Laura quickly hit the showers and changed into her clothes, which Travis Stoll, from the Hermes cabin had left for her in a bag full of other items.  
She climbed onto her bed and called out, Good night, everyone! She wasn t surprised to hear what came back, Good night, sleep tight, don t let the bugs bite! they entire cabin sang in unison and burst out laughing, making her laugh once more. She knew that she would have to get used to the poetry, sooner or later, being the daughter of the god of poetry, medicine and all. Slowly, her eyelids began to drop, as she drifted away to sleep.

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Nico di Angelo lay in bed with his eyes open, dreaming about the only girl in the world who had touched a chord in his heart. Her chocolate- brown eyes looked intimidating as he had gazed into them. Her rosy lips had beckoned him to move forward and kiss her. Her skin looked beautiful and radiant, as if she reflected the sunlight to those who gazed at her in awe and wonder, blinding them with her beauty.  
She is my sunshine, he decided as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

In his dreams, he saw nothing like he had expected. Laura Tolland was facing a drakon with her arrow aimed at its left eye. Nico could see that the drakon was staring at her, too. Maybe blinded by her beauty, Nico thought. Suddenly, his thoughts drifted to fear and panic as he realized that it wasn t the monster that was awe- struck, but Laura herself. She had made the mistake of looking at the creature in the eye, thus paralyzing herself.  
Nico tried to warn her to break eye- contact with the drakon, but his voice didn t reach her in his dream. The monster opened its mouth spraying poison at its prey, burning all her beautiful goddess- like features in a few seconds.  
Nico sat bolt upright. He was breathing heavily, and couldn t believe the dream he had just witnessed.  
Demigod dreams come true, a voice at the back of his mind echoed, leaving him all the more terrified of knowing that this horrible dream could come true any day, maybe even tomorrow...  
He jumped out of bed and immediately shadow- travelled himself to Cabin Three.

Percy was having a wonderful time with his girlfriend- Annabeth, when suddenly a huge storm blew in their direction, separating him from her. Annabeth... don t go... away, he muttered in his sleep.  
PERCY! He opened his eyes to see two dark eyes looking down at him in the moonlight. Nico? What the heck are you doing at this hour in my cabin? he groaned and sat up. Looking at his watch, he said, Dude, it s only 4:15 am! Nico grabbed a chair and sat down. I know, I know, I m so sorry for having interrupted your wonderful time with Annabeth, he said and saw his best friend blushing even in the moonlight.  
Percy opened his mouth to say something, when Nico quickly added, You talk in your sleep, that s how I knew it. He grinned as he dodged a blow aimed straight at his head from a very angry Percy s hand.  
Okay, fine. Why have you come here at this hour? Percy demanded, as he narrowed his sea- green eyes at his friend.  
Just then, Alice, who was on the opposite bed, sat up and looked around to see who had disturbed her sleep. Nico? What the- she began to say, but he cut her off. I know, I apologize. But, I ve had a very bad dream and decided to share it with you both, he said.  
As he narrated the dream, Alice felt her heart beat faster and faster. The thought of her best friend being killed by a drakon, burned in her mind.  
Alice couldn t help but smile, as she watched Nico narrate his dream about Laura. She could see his cheeks fill with colour, everytime he said her name.  
After Nico was done, he noticed Percy grinning wickedly at him.  
Percy, are you okay? Why are you grinning? he demanded.  
You like Laura, don t you? Percy pressed.  
What? Nico pretended like he didn t hear him.  
Yeah, I guessed as much, Percy said. The way you say her name... the way you blush...and most of all, you re extremely worried about her. Percy glanced at Alice, and then back at Nico, saying, By the way, why would only you get a dream like this, especially of such a beautiful girl? I think- Enough, Percy! That is not important, Nico cut in. Trying to sound serious and setting a firm jaw, he asked him, You re helping me or not? He fixed his midnight eyes on Percy.  
Looking at the Son of Hades, Percy could only marvel at the kid s glare which was enough to make anyone realize that messing around with him was a very, very bad idea.  
Yeah, buddy. Sure will, but we re not sure if all of it comes true. So, we ll have to wait for a while before we tell Chiron about it, Percy advised.  
But what if it really does? I don t want anything to- he stopped short when he realized that he had already blurted out more than enough. He looked at Percy, who had raised an eyebrow, and then at Alice, who was silent the whole time.  
Their faces were bright as their sea- green eyes sparkled in the faint moonlight, coming in through the window. Nico lowered his head and stared at the ground.  
See? You just admitted that you like her, Percy said, leaning forward.  
Nico felt the colour return to his face and he sighed. Look buddy. I don t want to lose her, okay? I want to do everything that I can to save her. I don t want to lose another loved one. Alice was beaming with joy and pride for her best friend, Laura. Nico had confessed his feelings for her, indirectly in front of her and Percy. She couldn t wait to tell it to her in the morning.  
Don t worry, Nico, Alice said. We ll see to it that she s protected and that nothing of any sort happens to her. Eyeing his tired state, she said, Go now, get some sleep. We ll meet you in the morning at the Big House. Nico nodded and summoned all of his remaining power and shadow- travelled himself back to his cabin, where he slumped on his bed, letting his tiredness overtake him.

Chapter 6

Laura awoke to the sound of rock music blaring through one of the speakers. Looking around, she heard few of her siblings yelling at one another to be quick and get out of the bathroom quickly, so that all of them could get themselves cleaned and ready for the day.  
Katherine Somers walked up to Laura and greeted her with a good morning . She and Dorothy, had offered to test Laura s skills at archery. Laura put on dark, skinny jeans and an orange Camp Half- Blood T- shirt. She combed her hair and tied a French Plait. She grabbed a cookie along with her bow and arrows and jogged to catch up with Katherine and Dorothy, who were already half- way out the door. Alice was standing outside the Big House and was talking with Nico. When she noticed Laura, she muttered something and left Nico behind, walking up to Laura. Nico s face was sad. Good morning, Laura, she said. When you re done with archery, I ll have Percy or Nico teach you sword-fighting, she said and quickly added, I would have offered to teach you myself, but I ve got to go and attend the other practices. Besides, Clarisse from the Ares cabin is sick, and is in no state to come out today. Sure, thanks, Alice. I think that that s really sweet of you. I ll let you know when I m done, Laura replied. She knew that Katherine and Dorothy were aware of the way she was blushing at the thought of Nico teaching her sword-fighting. They exchanged glances at one another and then chuckled.  
Don t worry, Laura, Katherine said. We saw you staring at him last night, during dinner. Yeah, and we re one of the best girls at camp to patch you two up. We ll work on it later, after practice, Dorothy grinned and said, with her brown eyes sparkling in the sunshine.  
Thanks, Dorothy, Katherine, Laura said. Let s get to practice first. I ll see you ll later, Alice said, and walked back towards the Big House. But this time, Nico wasn t around. Must have gone for practice, Laura guessed.  
In the next twenty minutes, Laura was rapidly piercing her arrows on the dart- board, making a bull s eye. She was quick and graceful as she aimed at her target. Suddenly, she noticed Nico walking towards her with two swords at his side. When he saw her holding her bow and arrow, ready to release it at her target, he stopped by a tree and leaned against it. At once, Laura s attention got diverted as she released her arrow without re- checking her aim. It missed the dart- board, and with a swish, past several trees ahead, before coming to a stop, deep in the woods. Nico s eyebrows were raised at Laura, who was stunned herself. He knew he had been the one to distract her while taking aim. He couldn t believe the fact, that even his presence, ten feet away could distract her to such an extent. Cursing himself for having disturbed her, he walked towards Laura.  
Hi, Laura. I didn t mean to distract you, he said, watching her blush and then continued, I m really sorry. Laura seemed to be running short of words, as she tried gathering them. Uh, hi, Nico, she finally managed. It s okay, actually. Practice was almost over. Besides, I was tired, she lied.  
Laura! You did well for today, Dorothy said, coming towards them. You looked more like Artemis, really. You looked better than Artemis, Nico said in his mind and nodded at Laura, wishing she could read it.  
Thanks, guys, she blushed as she said. Gods! Her face glitters like a million diamonds in the sunlight, Nico thought, again wishing he could tell her how beautiful she was.  
Katherine and Dorothy checked their watches. I think it s time for us to go and engage in the other practices. We ll see you later! Katherine said, as they hurried away from the couple who were now, staring at one another.  
Nico cleared his throat and said, Let s get to work. He pulled out a two- foot long silver sword, which shone so much in the sunlight, that both of them were blinded at an instant. Oops, Nico said, covering his eyes, I think I ve cleaned it up a little extra. Laura opened her eyes and stepped under the shade of a tree behind her. I think I should practice in the shadows for today, she said. Nico didn t know if she just joked or really meant it. Yeah, right, he said, handing the sword to her. Their hands met at the handle and he told himself- Take control, don t lose your concentration. Just teach her what you re come here for and not how to lose your concentration before your crush teaches you skills in a battle. He saw her eyes fixate on the handle of the sword. Instantly, he realized that it was he, who wasn t letting go of the handle. Blushing, he let go of it.  
Laura s eyes took in the beauty of the sword she was holding. It felt perfect in her hands. Nico s got a good sense of judgement, she noted in her mind.  
Nico pulled out his sword and brandished it. It was a three- foot long Stygian iron sword, Laura realized. It was dark and gloomy and seemed to radiate death. She flinched at the thought of death.  
Nico noticed her discomfort and said, Oh, don t worry, Laura. I ll be careful not to do you any harm. Besides, I m skilled in sword-fighting. One of the best fighters at camp, at your service, he bowed and came up grinning as he said it.  
Laura chuckled, Well, let s begin, fighter boy. He showed her how to trap your opponent if you have the shorter sword. He was watching her closely and noted that she was a quick learner. They practiced a few more skills, and before winding up, he decided to test her.  
Without warning, he thrust his sword in her direction. Fortunately or unfortunately, Laura wasn t dreaming. She ducked and rolled to the right, stood on her feet and charged at him. His sword intersected hers with an intensity that almost knocked her backwards. But she, too, was a strong and smart fighter. She jumped behind and let his sword drop. Looking up at Nico, Laura beckoned him to step forward and attack. Their eyes looked for a moment and he lost his concentration. Taking advantage of the situation, she charged at him. Grabbing his sword from his hand, she aimed hers at his chest, while she held his horizontally behind his neck, letting her left arm rest on his right shoulder. Chapter 7

Nico di Angelo was stunned by her goddess- like moves. He could get the smell of chocolate flavour emitting from her hair. Her body was just an inch away from his. He looked down at her face, and saw her grinning. Realizing how close she was to him, she stepped behind and held out his sword. His face reflected shock and shame that a daughter of Apollo defeated the son of Hades in her very first battle with him. Right now, he was staring at her as if he had seen a ghost or something. She chuckled and saw him come back to reality. Whoa. Those moves were quick, he finally said, taking back his sword and putting it in his sheath.  
Sure they were. Thanks for teaching me today, she said and lowered her eyelids. Suddenly, she saw a pair of black boots appear near her feet, and looked up to find his face just a few inches from hers. He was leaning in slowly, while his arms wrapped around her body, pulling her closer. She was almost about to give in, when suddenly, a familiar voice called out to them from behind. Drat. Wrong timing...always, she thought. Laura! Oh - hi, Nico, she said as she jogged up towards them.  
Nico sighed and let go of Laura, taking a step behind. Hi, Alice, he said.  
Laura felt like yelling at her best friend to go away and to leave her alone with Nico for a while. But obviously, she didn t. Did I miss anything? Alice asked innocently, her sea- green eyes sparking in the sun.  
Yes, you missed the fight, Laura said excitedly. You should have missed the kiss as well, she grumbled in her mind. So, who won? Alice asked, her eyes shifting to Nico s. Laura won, Alice. Her moves were goddess- like and... quick, he said blushing and looked at one of the trees. Alice raised an eyebrow at Apollo s daughter, who seemed to have developed a sudden interest in her own boots. I sure as hell missed the best part, she thought. Realizing that Alice was watching her, Laura glanced up to see her face which seemed to be asking her- What did you two do exactly? And how did you win against one of the best fighters at camp?  
Laura shot her a look which read- I ll explain later.  
Uh... you know what? I ll go and check on Percy, see if he needs help at anything, Nico suddenly said. Bye, see you later, he said and flashed that award- winning smile, before dissolving into the shadows. Laura glanced at her friend, who seemed to be enjoying the look on her face. What? she said and rolled her eyes.  
You ve got to explain everything to me. Now! Alice said with excitement in her voice.  
Laura knew that there was no other way escaping the daughter of Poseidon s sparkling eyes which demanded an explanation. Okay, fine, she said, and sat down on the grass as she narrated everything that had taken place between her and Nico.

Chapter 8

Percy was leaning over the map of Camp Half- Blood, which was spread out on the table.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Nico di Angelo lay in bed with his eyes open, dreaming about the only girl in the world who had touched a chord in his heart. Her chocolate- brown eyes looked intimidating as he had gazed into them. Her rosy lips had beckoned him to move forward and kiss her. Her skin looked beautiful and radiant, as if she reflected the sunlight to those who gazed at her in awe and wonder, blinding them with her beauty.  
She is my sunshine, he decided as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

In his dreams, he saw nothing like he had expected. Laura Tolland was facing a drakon with her arrow aimed at its left eye. Nico could see that the drakon was staring at her, too. Maybe blinded by her beauty, Nico thought. Suddenly, his thoughts drifted to fear and panic as he realized that it wasn t the monster that was awe- struck, but Laura herself. She had made the mistake of looking at the creature in the eye, thus paralyzing herself.  
Nico tried to warn her to break eye- contact with the drakon, but his voice didn t reach her in his dream. The monster opened its mouth spraying poison at its prey, burning all her beautiful goddess- like features in a few seconds.  
Nico sat bolt upright. He was breathing heavily, and couldn t believe the dream he had just witnessed.  
Demigod dreams come true, a voice at the back of his mind echoed, leaving him all the more terrified of knowing that this horrible dream could come true any day, maybe even tomorrow...  
He jumped out of bed and immediately shadow- travelled himself to Cabin Three.

Percy was having a wonderful time with his girlfriend- Annabeth, when suddenly a huge storm blew in their direction, separating him from her. Annabeth... don t go... away, he muttered in his sleep.  
PERCY! He opened his eyes to see two dark eyes looking down at him in the moonlight. Nico? What the heck are you doing at this hour in my cabin? he groaned and sat up. Looking at his watch, he said, Dude, it s only 4:15 am! Nico grabbed a chair and sat down. I know, I know, I m so sorry for having interrupted your wonderful time with Annabeth, he said and saw his best friend blushing even in the moonlight.  
Percy opened his mouth to say something, when Nico quickly added, You talk in your sleep, that s how I knew it. He grinned as he dodged a blow aimed straight at his head from a very angry Percy s hand.  
Okay, fine. Why have you come here at this hour? Percy demanded, as he narrowed his sea- green eyes at his friend.  
Just then, Alice, who was on the opposite bed, sat up and looked around to see who had disturbed her sleep. Nico? What the- she began to say, but he cut her off. I know, I apologize. But, I ve had a very bad dream and decided to share it with you both, he said.  
As he narrated the dream, Alice felt her heart beat faster and faster. The thought of her best friend being killed by a drakon, burned in her mind.  
Alice couldn t help but smile, as she watched Nico narrate his dream about Laura. She could see his cheeks fill with colour, everytime he said her name.  
After Nico was done, he noticed Percy grinning wickedly at him.  
Percy, are you okay? Why are you grinning? he demanded.  
You like Laura, don t you? Percy pressed.  
What? Nico pretended like he didn t hear him.  
Yeah, I guessed as much, Percy said. The way you say her name... the way you blush...and most of all, you re extremely worried about her. Percy glanced at Alice, and then back at Nico, saying, By the way, why would only you get a dream like this, especially of such a beautiful girl? I think- Enough, Percy! That is not important, Nico cut in. Trying to sound serious and setting a firm jaw, he asked him, You re helping me or not? He fixed his midnight eyes on Percy.  
Looking at the Son of Hades, Percy could only marvel at the kid s glare which was enough to make anyone realize that messing around with him was a very, very bad idea.  
Yeah, buddy. Sure will, but we re not sure if all of it comes true. So, we ll have to wait for a while before we tell Chiron about it, Percy advised.  
But what if it really does? I don t want anything to- he stopped short when he realized that he had already blurted out more than enough. He looked at Percy, who had raised an eyebrow, and then at Alice, who was silent the whole time.  
Their faces were bright as their sea- green eyes sparkled in the faint moonlight, coming in through the window. Nico lowered his head and stared at the ground.  
See? You just admitted that you like her, Percy said, leaning forward.  
Nico felt the colour return to his face and he sighed. Look buddy. I don t want to lose her, okay? I want to do everything that I can to save her. I don t want to lose another loved one. Alice was beaming with joy and pride for her best friend, Laura. Nico had confessed his feelings for her, indirectly in front of her and Percy. She couldn t wait to tell it to her in the morning.  
Don t worry, Nico, Alice said. We ll see to it that she s protected and that nothing of any sort happens to her. Eyeing his tired state, she said, Go now, get some sleep. We ll meet you in the morning at the Big House. Nico nodded and summoned all of his remaining power and shadow- travelled himself back to his cabin, where he slumped on his bed, letting his tiredness overtake him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Laura awoke to the sound of rock music blaring through one of the speakers. Looking around, she heard few of her siblings yelling at one another to be quick and get out of the bathroom quickly, so that all of them could get themselves cleaned and ready for the day.  
Katherine Somers walked up to Laura and greeted her with a good morning . She and Dorothy, had offered to test Laura s skills at archery. Laura put on dark, skinny jeans and an orange Camp Half- Blood T- shirt. She combed her hair and tied a French Plait. She grabbed a cookie along with her bow and arrows and jogged to catch up with Katherine and Dorothy, who were already half- way out the door. Alice was standing outside the Big House and was talking with Nico. When she noticed Laura, she muttered something and left Nico behind, walking up to Laura. Nico s face was sad. Good morning, Laura, she said. When you re done with archery, I ll have Percy or Nico teach you sword-fighting, she said and quickly added, I would have offered to teach you myself, but I ve got to go and attend the other practices. Besides, Clarisse from the Ares cabin is sick, and is in no state to come out today. Sure, thanks, Alice. I think that that s really sweet of you. I ll let you know when I m done, Laura replied. She knew that Katherine and Dorothy were aware of the way she was blushing at the thought of Nico teaching her sword-fighting. They exchanged glances at one another and then chuckled.  
Don t worry, Laura, Katherine said. We saw you staring at him last night, during dinner. Yeah, and we re one of the best girls at camp to patch you two up. We ll work on it later, after practice, Dorothy grinned and said, with her brown eyes sparkling in the sunshine.  
Thanks, Dorothy, Katherine, Laura said. Let s get to practice first. I ll see you ll later, Alice said, and walked back towards the Big House. But this time, Nico wasn t around. Must have gone for practice, Laura guessed.  
In the next twenty minutes, Laura was rapidly piercing her arrows on the dart- board, making a bull s eye. She was quick and graceful as she aimed at her target. Suddenly, she noticed Nico walking towards her with two swords at his side. When he saw her holding her bow and arrow, ready to release it at her target, he stopped by a tree and leaned against it. At once, Laura s attention got diverted as she released her arrow without re- checking her aim. It missed the dart- board, and with a swish, past several trees ahead, before coming to a stop, deep in the woods. Nico s eyebrows were raised at Laura, who was stunned herself. He knew he had been the one to distract her while taking aim. He couldn t believe the fact, that even his presence, ten feet away could distract her to such an extent. Cursing himself for having disturbed her, he walked towards Laura.  
Hi, Laura. I didn t mean to distract you, he said, watching her blush and then continued, I m really sorry. Laura seemed to be running short of words, as she tried gathering them. Uh, hi, Nico, she finally managed. It s okay, actually. Practice was almost over. Besides, I was tired, she lied.  
Laura! You did well for today, Dorothy said, coming towards them. You looked more like Artemis, really. You looked better than Artemis, Nico said in his mind and nodded at Laura, wishing she could read it.  
Thanks, guys, she blushed as she said. Gods! Her face glitters like a million diamonds in the sunlight, Nico thought, again wishing he could tell her how beautiful she was.  
Katherine and Dorothy checked their watches. I think it s time for us to go and engage in the other practices. We ll see you later! Katherine said, as they hurried away from the couple who were now, staring at one another.  
Nico cleared his throat and said, Let s get to work. He pulled out a two- foot long silver sword, which shone so much in the sunlight, that both of them were blinded at an instant. Oops, Nico said, covering his eyes, I think I ve cleaned it up a little extra. Laura opened her eyes and stepped under the shade of a tree behind her. I think I should practice in the shadows for today, she said. Nico didn t know if she just joked or really meant it. Yeah, right, he said, handing the sword to her. Their hands met at the handle and he told himself- Take control, don t lose your concentration. Just teach her what you re come here for and not how to lose your concentration before your crush teaches you skills in a battle. He saw her eyes fixate on the handle of the sword. Instantly, he realized that it was he, who wasn t letting go of the handle. Blushing, he let go of it.  
Laura s eyes took in the beauty of the sword she was holding. It felt perfect in her hands. Nico s got a good sense of judgement, she noted in her mind.  
Nico pulled out his sword and brandished it. It was a three- foot long Stygian iron sword, Laura realized. It was dark and gloomy and seemed to radiate death. She flinched at the thought of death.  
Nico noticed her discomfort and said, Oh, don t worry, Laura. I ll be careful not to do you any harm. Besides, I m skilled in sword-fighting. One of the best fighters at camp, at your service, he bowed and came up grinning as he said it.  
Laura chuckled, Well, let s begin, fighter boy. He showed her how to trap your opponent if you have the shorter sword. He was watching her closely and noted that she was a quick learner. They practiced a few more skills, and before winding up, he decided to test her.  
Without warning, he thrust his sword in her direction. Fortunately or unfortunately, Laura wasn t dreaming. She ducked and rolled to the right, stood on her feet and charged at him. His sword intersected hers with an intensity that almost knocked her backwards. But she, too, was a strong and smart fighter. She jumped behind and let his sword drop. Looking up at Nico, Laura beckoned him to step forward and attack. Their eyes looked for a moment and he lost his concentration. Taking advantage of the situation, she charged at him. Grabbing his sword from his hand, she aimed hers at his chest, while she held his horizontally behind his neck, letting her left arm rest on his right shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Nico di Angelo was stunned by her goddess- like moves. He could get the smell of chocolate flavour emitting from her hair. Her body was just an inch away from his. He looked down at her face, and saw her grinning.

Realizing how close she was to him, she stepped behind and held out his sword. His face reflected shock and shame that a daughter of Apollo defeated the son of Hades in her very first battle with him. Right now, he was staring at her as if he had seen a ghost or something. She chuckled and saw him come back to reality.

"Whoa. Those moves were quick," he finally said, taking back his sword and putting it in his sheath.

"Sure they were. Thanks for teaching me today," she said and lowered her eyelids.

Suddenly, she saw a pair of black boots appear near her feet, and looked up to find his face just a few inches from hers. He was leaning in slowly, while his arms wrapped around her body, pulling her closer. She was almost about to give in, when suddenly, a familiar voice called out to them from behind. Drat. Wrong timing...always, she thought.

"Laura! Oh - hi, Nico," she said as she jogged up towards them.

Nico sighed and let go of Laura, taking a step behind. "Hi, Alice," he said.

Laura felt like yelling at her best friend to go away and to leave her alone with Nico for a while. But obviously, she didn't.

"Did I miss anything?" Alice asked innocently, her sea- green eyes sparking in the sun.

"Yes, you missed the fight," Laura said excitedly. You should have missed the kiss as well, she grumbled in her mind.

"So, who won?" Alice asked, her eyes shifting to Nico's.

"Laura won, Alice. Her moves were goddess- like and... quick," he said blushing and looked at one of the trees.

Alice raised an eyebrow at Apollo's daughter, who seemed to have developed a sudden interest in her own boots. I sure as hell missed the best part, she thought.

Realizing that Alice was watching her, Laura glanced up to see her face which seemed to be asking her- What did you two do exactly? And how did you win against one of the best fighters at camp?

Laura shot her a look which read- I'll explain later.

"Uh... you know what? I'll go and check on Percy, see if he needs help at anything," Nico suddenly said. "Bye, see you later," he said and flashed that award- winning smile, before dissolving into the shadows.

Laura glanced at her friend, who seemed to be enjoying the look on her face. "What?" she said and rolled her eyes.

"You've got to explain everything to me. Now! " Alice said with excitement in her voice.

Laura knew that there was no other way escaping the daughter of Poseidon's sparkling eyes which demanded an explanation. "Okay, fine," she said, and sat down on the grass as she narrated everything that had taken place between her and Nico.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Percy was leaning over the map of Camp Half- Blood, which was spread out on a table in the Big House. Annabeth was browsing through a few notes on her laptop.

"Annabeth, are you sure about this?" Percy asked, his eyes not leaving the map.

Annabeth glanced at him, rolling her gray eyes. "Yes, Seaweed Brain, I'm hundred percent sure of it. Why would my mom appear to me in a dream, informing us that camp is going to be attacked? It's not my idea of a joke," she said, looking back at the laptop screen.

Just then, Nico materialized beside Percy, nearly giving him a heart attack.

"Oh my Gods, Nico! Why in Hades do you always do that?" Percy yelled at him, with his hand on his chest- his heart pounding like a horse in a marathon.

Annabeth jumped up from her chair. "What- Oh, hi Nico," she said quickly.

"Hey, Annabeth," Nico said. Looking at the map spread out on the table, and then at Annabeth's laptop running, he asked, "By the way, what are you guys doing here?"

"Uh... Nico, camp is going to be attacked tomorrow," Percy said, frowning. "Annabeth's mom warned her in a dream last night."

"What the...," Nico said, absentmindedly. He could hardly believe his ears. He knew they couldn't ignore a message from the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy. Besides, whatever Athena tells her children always comes true. He felt himself panic as he recalled last night's bone- chilling dream.

He looked to Percy, who seemed to be having the same thoughts. Instantly, his heart felt heavier for the first time after years. Nico had lost his mother when he was a kid, then he had also lost his sister on a quest and now...

_If camp is really going to be attacked tomorrow,_ he thought, _I would have to be with her the whole time, without letting her out of my sight._

"I will do my best to protect her," Nico blurted out, and cupped his mouth, realizing that Annabeth was staring at him as if he were crazy or something.

Her eyebrows were raised as Percy and Nico exchanged glances at one another.

"Wait a minute," she said, and eyed Nico. "Whom are you talking about?"

Percy told her everything about their conversation this morning. As Annabeth listened attentively, she was serious for a minute and then eyed Nico, smiled and said, "Hmmm... So, the son of Hades has fallen for Apollo's daughter, huh? Sweet."

Nico felt himself blushing once again. He looked at the map on the table, grabbed a pen along with a notepad, and began scribbling the names of the campers to be positioned at various places.

He placed Percy and Annabeth at the creek, while he and Laura would guard Zeus' Fist. Alice would pair up with Leo, from the Hephaestus cabin, while Connor and Travis Stoll would be stationed at Thalia's pine tree. He placed the Ares campers in pairs at such places, where monsters would never expect themselves to be hit.

After Nico was done placing campers almost everywhere around camp, he re- checked his work and slumped back in his chair and sighed.

Percy and Annabeth were surprised to find the worried son of Hades complete his work within ten minutes, without missing a single camper's name.

"Hey man, relax," Percy said. "Everything would be okay if you just stay with her. I trust in you, buddy," he assured Nico, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Percy," Nico replied. "Just hope so."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Laura and Alice were sitting and throwing pebbles in the creek as Laura watched the sun go down. She had told Alice everything that had happened between Nico and herself. At first, Alice was beaming with joy and pride for Laura, when suddenly, her face had darkened after she had remembered something. She asked Alice about her worry, but noticed that she was in two minds- whether or not to tell her.

"Um, Alice?" Laura suddenly said, throwing a pebble in the creek.

"Yes?" Alice said, turning to look at her.

"Why were you suddenly stressed about something after I told you everything about him and me? Honestly, please tell me what you were thinking." She knew there was no point in asking Alice for the third time, even though she had avoided the question before.

Alice was silent before she answered, "You know, Laura, there's good news for you and also bad news." Looking at the water, she added, "Which one first?"

"Bad news?" Laura replied.

Alice turned to face her friend so that she could see her face. "Last night, Nico came to my cabin."

"Okay," Laura said and nodded, motioning her to continue.

"He had a very disturbing dream, and had therefore come to discuss it with Percy." She sucked in a deep breath before continuing, "He said you were being attacked by a drakon." She paused and asked her, "You do know what a drakon is, don't you?"

Laura had read about drakons, empousai, minotaurs and many other mythological creatures in a book gifted to her by her mother, when she was thirteen. She quickly nodded.

"Okay, so you were facing this drakon and had made the mistake of looking it in the eye, and...," Alice wasn't sure of how to put in the next words.

"... and?" Laura pressed.

"It sprayed poison in your face!" Alice blurted out. She watched the expression on the other girl's face as it changed to shock, horror and then fear.

"I'm so sorry," Alice began to say, "I didn't mean to-"

Laura held up her hand, silencing her. With her eyes closed, she asked her, "Do demigod dreams always come true?"

Alice sighed, knowing that that question was on its way. She thought of not replying, but right now, looking at the tear rolling down the cheek of her friend, she decided that Laura deserved to know the truth.

She breathed in deeply and said, "Laura, demigod dreams are like visions of the future. Sometimes, the gods communicate with us through dreams and inform us about the happenings of the future, or anything important that we need to know. Honestly speaking, I'm not sure if all the dreams come true."

Laura sat in stunned silence as fear gripped her mind, making her heart beat faster. Suddenly, a conch horn sounded in the distance. The sun had set completely, behind the mountains across the canoe lake.

Alice got up and walked a few steps behind, hoping that Laura would follow suit, but she didn't. Instead, her gaze was fixated on something in the water. Without looking behind to see if Alice had left her and gone, she asked aloud, "What's the good news?"

Alice smiled and walked back to where her friend was sitting, and pulled her up to her feet. She looked her in the eye and said, "The good news is that he really likes you. He confessed it to Percy and me this morning."

Laura's chocolate- brown eyes widened as she couldn't help herself stop the smile that had already escaped her lips. Instantly, she forgot all her worries, including Nico's dream- everything.

"I'm so happy for you, you know," Alice said, as she hugged her friend.

"Thanks, Alice," Laura managed to say as her heart filled with happiness and the joy of knowing that she was being loved, before she dies.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Alice watched Laura happily give her siblings- Katherine and Dorothy, details of her sword-fighting session with Nico di Angelo. Alice was seated with Percy at the Poseidon table. Percy followed her gaze to the Apollo table and knew that she was worried about her best friend.

"I'm worried about her, too," he said, looking back at his half- sister, before digging into his food.

Alice nodded and took a bite of her apple. Before, when she had scraped a part of her meal into the fire, as a burnt offering to the gods, she had said a silent prayer to Apollo to help her protect his daughter from harm.

Suddenly, Chiron pounded his hooves on the floor and addressed the campers, "It is with regret and a heavy heart that I announce this: Athena has sent us word that camp will be attacked tomorrow by monsters and creatures from the Underworld." A few heads turned toward the Hades table, where Nico di Angelo was seated. Sadly, he lowered his head.

Alice turned to look at Percy with her jaw dropped open. He nodded reluctantly, before popping a grape into his mouth. Alice felt as if someone had pierced her heart. Nothing was taking a happy turn. _If there's going to be an attack on camp, then a drakon is sure to be present to make things worse,_ she realized. _And if the drakon really does attack..._

She tried to swat away the thought, which kept occurring in her mind and didn't seem to go away. Alice looked at Nico, who was staring blankly at something in the woods. She took another bite of her apple and glanced at Annabeth, who was telling her siblings details of her dream last night. Finnally, she turned to look at Laura, who was hit the most with the shocking news. Even in the distance, Alice could see that Laura had gone pale. Her eyes were wide open and it looked like somebody had already impaled a hot sword in her chest.

Laura felt like somebody had stabbed a burning- hot sword in her stomach. She couldn't digest what she had just heard. Her whole world came crashing down at an instant. She realized that the Fates were being cruel to her and to Camp Half- Blood as well.

Glancing around, her eyes met Nico's. For a moment, her heart stopped beating, and then continued again. His eyes reflected intense pain and helplessness, as he dropped his eyelids and looked away. Everybody was speaking in hushed tones, she noticed. Laura didn't feel like having dinner, but something at the back of her mind told her that she needed energy for the upcoming battle, if she wanted to survive the drakon, and not die an early death.

After having dinner, she ran to her cabin, grabbed her sword and bow and arrows, and ran towards the sword-fighting arena. There, she tried aiming at the tiniest of targets, and finally switched over to sword- fighting. She slashed and jabbed at invisible monsters as she practiced the moves which Nico had taught her earlier in the day.

Suddenly, a twig twitched behind her. Laura turned and searched the darkness for any sign of movement, but everything looked unmoved and dead. Sensing no sign of danger, she decided to get back to practice. She slashed at the air and turned to face the opposite direction, to kill an invisible monster.

Instantly, the figure behind her ducked and groaned, and at once, she recognized the voice. _That voice..._

"Relax, Laura," Nico said, coming up. "It's me."

Laura heaved a sigh of relief. He was the last person she would want to kill. If it wasn't for his quick reflexes, she would have chopped his head off!

"Oh my Gods, Nico!" she said. "I'm so damn sorry... Are you hurt?" She scanned his face for any cuts or any sign of hurts, but found nothing. _His face was perfectly fine... and handsome, as usual,_ she thought.

"No, I'm perfectly fine," he said, sheepishly. "But, what are you doing here?" he said, looking around at the darkness, and then at her face.

"Uh... I- Nothing. I was just practicing those moves that you had taught me earlier this morning," she said, looking down at the grass.

Nico knew that she was worried about the next day's battle, but was trying to hide it, which she was very bad at doing.

Laura sank to the grass. She was dog- tired after everything that day. Nico sat down beside her, fiddling with his sword. They sat in silence for a few minutes until he said, "You're worried about tomorrow's attack, aren't you?"He knew it was a stupid question to ask when he knew what she was thinking, while he was doing the same.

There was silence before she answered, "Yes, Nico. I have a feeling that my end is near. I think it's my bad luck. Maybe, my life was meant to be short."

Nico was stunned at her words. She had already given up, and knew that she was doomed. He was surprised at what he did next. He moved closer to her and put a strong arm around her shoulder. He leaned in and put his mouth close to her ear and said, "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He had made up his mind to protect and fight for her, under any circumstances.

Laura was surprise when she heard those words. He was willing to do anything to protect her, she realized. Instantly, she buried her face in his chest, and silently heard his heartbeats. She chuckled at the sudden change in them. They were slow at first, gradually beating faster and faster as she pulled him closer. Her eyelids began to close, as they became heavier. Within three minutes, she fell asleep.

Nico waited for nearly fifteen minutes, with Laura's head to his chest. Finally, he tilted her face, only to find her asleep. He smiled to himself and carried her in his arms, which wasn't hard. He wished he could hold her like that throughout the night, but he, too was tired. If it wasn't for his tiredness, he would have even stayed up all night and watched her sleep. She looked like an angel- peaceful and beautiful, even in her sleep.

Nico shadow- travelled them both outside the Apollo cabin and slowly turned the doorknob and quietly stepped inside.

Tonight, the Apollo cabin didn't seem like itself. The demigods in there were all checking their armour and weapons to see if they were in good condition. Will Solace, Katherine and Kirk were seated on a bed and re- filling their First- Aid boxes.

When Apollo's kids saw Nico in the doorway, they gasped. Their eyes shifted from Nico's to the body of their sister in his arms.

Before their thoughts could take dark turn, he quickly lied, "Actually, I found her asleep in the sword- fighting arena, so..."

"Oh my Gods!" Dorothy said, getting up from the corner of the room and walking up to him. "Is she fine, Nico?" she said as she eyed him.

"Yeah, she's just tired," he replied. "Where shall I put her to sleep?" he asked.

"Right there- the third bunker bed, the lower one," she said as she pointed towards an empty bed.

"Okay, thanks," Nico said, smiling and headed towards Laura's bed.

He laid her down and placed her weapons, which she had carried with her, beside her bed. He wished he could kiss her on her cheek, but everybody in the room was still watching him in stunned silence. _Of course, who would not be terrified when the Son of Hades enters your cabin in the night, with your sleeping sister in his arms? _He thought.

He gave her one last loving look for the day and mentally said to her- _Goodnight, my princess._ Having said that, he quickly strode towards the door. Just as he was about to close the door behind him, Will Solace stood up smiling and said, "Thanks, Nico."

"No problem," he smiled back and said, closing the door behind him.

Nico entered his cabin, hit the showers and changed into his night clothes. Just as he was about to go to bed, he saw a shimmering form against the wall opposite his bed. The girl's ghost smiled at him. "Hello, brother," she said.

"Bianca," he smiled and sat up, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes.

"I'm sorry to have come when you're so tired, but you were busy throughout the day. Never alone," she said, and quickly added, "Anyways, I won't take much of your time. I've come to tell you something." She came and stood near the bed, her ghost floating in the air.

"What is it?" he frowned and asked his sister.

"Nico, I see that you've fallen for this beautiful daughter of Apollo," she paused and watched as her little brother's cheeks turned pink. "If you really care about her- which I know you do, protect her and be there for her. She really feels the same for you. Don't leave her side tomorrow, as your dream would partially be coming true. You have promised to take care of her, and so should you stick to it," she said, reaching out to touch his cheek.

"What do you mean by 'partially be coming true'?" he demanded, eyeing his sister. As soon as Bianca had said that, his expression had changed to horror and fear.

"I meant, you can still change your dream," she replied. As Nico opened his mouth to speak, she quickly said, "Goodnight, Nico. Take care of your loved ones as well as yourself." Saying that, she smiled and vanished into thin air.

Nico began to have little hope, when his sister's ghost had told him that he could still change his dream. The last thing he remembered was that he put his head on his pillow and fell asleep immediately.


End file.
